Lock spike



{go-ct 25 1927" R. PRoNlNl LOCK SPIKE Filed Feb. 18, lzs

f Hunan FFCmILT-Li gmmwfot Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

LOCK SPIKE.y

Application sled February This invention relates to improvements in Spikes. Y

The primary object ofl this 'invention 1s the provision of a vlo'ck spike preferably ladapted for use in connection-with railway work,'butwhich is susceptible of other uses; 4the same embodying a novel pawl means to Veifect its retention on the road bed vagainst .accidental withdrawal; 1, m A further object of this `invention, is Vthe provision of an improved tie rplate and lock A spike construction for Y the retaining of vrails on ti'esand a road bed. Y I

A j-furtherobject of this invention is the l5Y provision of an improved spike construction Y embodying novelmeans to guard the 'driving of the spike, land including novel detent means :to lprevent ,accidental withdrawal of' the spike., Y v yOther objects and advantages of this 1nvention will be 'apparent during the course ofthe following detailed description.

lIn the accompanying drawing, forming ja part of this specification, and wherein -simillar reference characters, designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional Y view showing the improved spike, in relation toa novel type of bed plate forthe re- :so tention ofka rail upon the bed plate, and upon a tie, to prevent the Withdrawal of the spike with respect tothe tie. .y

l Figure 2 is a., plan view, partly in section, of the application of the improved spike.-

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantiallyyon the line 3 3 of Figure 1*, below the bed plate of the spike, looking upwardly.

Figure 4 is a side elevation partly. in section, `showing the improved spike and its ydetent means.y Y

Figure '5. is a view, partly in section, of the improved spike,y taken at right anglesftothe view illustrated `in Figure 4.

VFigure 6 is a bottom plan view of the improved spike and associating details. vIn the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustrationis shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letterA may generally designate rthe improved lock spike which is adapted forfuse in theretaining of rail sections B, upon anovel type'of bed :plate C, in supportedrelation upon ties D, a wedge member E being used ina novel rei lation with'th'e lockspike Ato maintain it inlocked position 'with respectto the tie and.

:bediplataagainst accidental withdrawal.;

. Vleferring to the spike A, the @me cuds maar tie inserting shankjlO,A having a head 11A i at theV top thereof, with the railbaseengaging flange 12 extending laterally of one side surface 13 of the shanklO, in the `usual relation.y The shank V13 at the lower end thereof l has a tapered -or 'pointed end'll, the inner and outer surfaces of the shanklO atthe lower end; tapering Eto a chisel ,edge `15g, 4in the usual relation. vThe 4vpointed end ofthe shank 13 isnovel in ythis respect, that .the

ytapered inner and outer y.surfaces thereof are each provided with a substantially vertically disposed lguide extension 17, which provides outerv edges tapering from their upperends to a point at the lowerjends thereof, as illustfratedA in Figure 5 of the drawing;- these ribs decreasing in proj ect-ion from thelower ends to the 4upper endsthereof wheretheymerge into' the bodyfof the shank, as illustratedl in .the drawing. Thel ribs 17 areprovi'ded at opposite sides of the lower. pointed end of V the shank, at diagonally opposed cornerspf the shank, andthey assist materially in .the

[straight 4line driving and removallof, the

shanks with respect tothe tie.

Thes'ha'nk`13 is preferably provided with a transverse opening 2O extending entirely transversely `of the shank -from-the inner ,to -the outer sides thereof, within which a locking dogor pawl y25 movable operates in ,y

a k'novel relationgThe pawl or dog 25 at its lower end is provided `f with an apertured pivoteXtension 26, ada-plted to receive Aa pin 27 therethrough for pivoting thepawl or detent inl the lower endfofthe `-opening 20, between the vinner and outerside `surfaces of the shanklO. To receive this .pivoted extension 26 the opening 20 is recessed at 28. From the pivot extension 26the detentibody tapers at an increasing width towards the upperedgesthereof; the inner and outer side edges .29 and 30. diverging from the pivot `27. The slot or opening 20, of the shankv10 is `of uniformwidth, yto accommodatefthev pawl or detent125, which is preferably flat and vof 'uniformvthickness as illustrated in the drawing. portion ofthe slot or opening l2O is provided `with a shoulder 35 diagonally slopingup- The lower wardly fromthepivot. recess 28 towards the l outer side 36 of the spike shank10magainst which the slopingedge 30 of the 4detenjtv-2 *.rnay abut, when the detent -25 is projecting entirely tothe Aouter side 36 of the .shank 1 0,

has illust-rated in Figure t .of the drawnfgis In this relation of parts, it is to be particularly noted that the detent at its Opposite side does not project from the'side 13 of the shank 10, and thus offers no detent projection below the head12. i The pawl member 26 upwardly from the? upper edge 40 of the body thereof is provided 'with an extension 41, 'considerably less in widthv than the width of the portion of the detent therebelow, Vadaptedto.` abut against a shoulder 42 formed inwardly of the outer side 36 of the shank 10, in order tolimit the extent to which the lock or pawl side 44 of the detent may extend vfrom the side 13 of the shank 10. Inwardly of the top edge of this extension 41al groove 45 is formed, to facilitate insertion of a tool in order to withdraw the detent lug portion 44 when desiring to remove the spike. i

Referring to the construction of the tie plateC, the same is of the type adapted to rest upon the tie D beneath the base of the `rail B. It is provided with suitable openings 50 therethrough adapted to receive the polygonal sh'anks 10 of the spike A. Inwardly of the bottom surface 51 of the tie plate C, a recess `52r is provided, eX-

I tending only partially thru the thickness vbeen'properly placed upon the ties.

of the tie plate C, to provide a' horizontal shoulder v53 at the top of each recess 5.2, which lies immediately belowl the base flanges of the rail B, and is adapted to receive the lockingeXtension 44 `of the detent or pawl 25, when the spike is in locking position, to preveiitwvithdrawal of the shank spike. At the opposite side of each opening from the recesses 52, the tie 'plate C is provided with a verticalslot 55 extending thru the thickness of the tie plate, and communicating with the opening 50, and these `slots are adapted to receive the outer sides of the pawl 25, when in a collapsed nonlocking position. v 'L The member E used to move the detentintolocking position' consists of a narrow shank 60, having a head 61 thereon, the lower edge 62 of said shank beingtapered from the outer side of the shank 62 towards the inner side thereof.

Referring to the application of the improved spike, the shank 10 thereof is driven into the opening it of course being understood that the rail and tie Aplates have The spike body is then driven until the head vl1 engages the base flange of the rail B, and in this relation the pawl 25 at its lower portion will enter thefibers of the tie D,

just inwardly of the upper surface thereof; the pawl not interfering to any great extent with the driving of the shank, due to the diagonal or inclined relation ofthe opposite edges 29 and 30 of the said pawl. When the shank 10 has been driven fully into the tie, the pawl moving member E is then inserted in the vertical slot at the outer side of the spike, withV the tapered lower edge 62 facing towards t-he downwardly extending projectingportion 41 of the pawl 25, and upon driving of thek member E downwardly into the slot 55 and into the tie D, the pawl 25 will be forced lfrom the outerl sider ofthe spike shank 10, laterally thru the opening 20, into projecting relation at its locking lug 44 beyond the inner surface of the shank 10, into the recess 52, below the shoulder 53, in the relationof parts illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The member E is driven fully into the slotv 55 until the head 6]. thereof rests on the bed plate or tie plate. -When the parts are in this relation it is readily apparent thatothe shank of the lspike cannotbe withdrawn from the tie'D, nor from the bed plate C, until the pawl 25 is collapsed thru the slot 20 out of locking vrelation below the shoulder 53 of the bed plate C. To effect this removal of the 'pawl fromk locking relation it is necessary to remove the member E, which may be readily done, lby means of a toolfinserted into the transverse groove 45 of the extension 41 'of the pawl 25, and the pawl25 rocked outwardly away from the rail, into theA position illustrated in Figure 4, and it is thus Yreadily apparent-that the locking extensionv44 may be removed from beneath the shoulder 53 of the bed plate.

Various changes in the shape, size, and' varrangement of partsvma'y be made to the form of invention herein shown and deof the invention or the scope of the claims.v

YIclaim: v, y

1. In a spike the `combination, of an inserting shank having a lhead thereon, said shank below they head 'having' a transverse slot therethrough from side to side, a pawl member pivoted at'itslower end in the lower end of said slot, the pawl lmember above the pivot thereof being `greater ingwidth from side to side than the transverse dimension of the shank from side to side so as to permit the opposite sides of the pawl to extendv outwardly of the opposite sides of the shank, and means formed with the shank to limit the degree to which the pawl may be collapsed or extendedvwith respect to the opposite sides of said shank.

2. The combination with a rail including a base flange, a tie, and a bed plate between the tie and base flange of the rail, said plate having a transverse opening therethrough, of a spike including a shank insertable thru the bed plate opening into the tie 'and having a head thereon for rail base engagement, said shank having a transverse opening therethrough, a pawl movable in saidy opening of the shank andprojectable at opposite sides 0f the shank, and means operable 'in' "scribed, without departing from the spirit the opening of the tie plate for engagement with one side ofthe pawl at the outer side of the shank to drive'the opposite side of the pawl into projecting relation beyondv the inner side of theshank below said tie plate.

The combination with a rail section adapted to'rest upon ties, a bed plate hav- `ing a transverse opening therein and beingy recessed upwardly from the bottom surface in the transverse opening including a locking projection adapted to extend into the recess' of the tie plate below said shoulder of the tie plate, and means operable at the outer side of the shank in abutment against,Y

said pawl to forcel the locking projection thereof into locking relation with said shoulder of the tie plate.

4. The combination of atie plate'having a transverse opening therein, and a reduced slot communicating transversely with said transverse opening and extending thru the thickness of the tie plate, of a spike including a head and a shank extending thru the opening of the tie plate, said shank having a transverse opening Vtherein from' side to side below said bed plate, al pawl operable in said opening of the shank having a'locking extension adapted to project beyond the outer side of the shank below said plate, said pawl at the lopposite sideV from the locking lug being adapted to project from the outer side of the shank when the locking lug is in locking relation below the bed plate, and

a pawl operating` member movable in the rej duced slot of t-he bed` plate at the outer side of the shank for abutment against the pawlV to drive the locking lug thereof into locking relation below the bed plate.

5. As an article of manufacture al spike comprising a shank havinga transversey opening therethrough from side to side, said opening at a side of the spike being recessed upwardly intothe spike to provide a shoulder, and a pawl movable at its lower end in said opening having an upward grooved extension thereon for abutment against said shoulder, said pawl beinggreater` inwidth than the width ofthe slot transversely from side to side of the shank. Y

6. As an article ofv manufacture a spike having alowertapered polygonal sided end, with straight guide ribs formed longitudiv n'ally of thespikealongsaid tapered end atV diagonally opposedcorners ofthe spike, the

other corners beingfree of ribsor projections. y Y 7. As an `article of manufacture ay polygonal shaped spike shank having a lower,V chisel end formed by tapering opposite sides of thespike, said opposite sides ofthe chisel tapered end having ribs formed longitudinally of'said shank decreasing in projecting' relation from the chisel end of the shank upwardly, said ribs being only formed at two diagonally opposed corners of the shank. 8. In a rail securing device the combination of a plate having a verticall opening.` therethrough, a spike adapted to be inserted thru said opening, a pawl movably mounted in the shank of said spike, and of a Width greater than the shank of the spike so that opposite portions of the pawl may extend beyond opposite sides of the shank of the spike at the same time, and a lock member for insertion into the opening ofthe plate j Y to engage against one side projecting portion of the pawl to force the other'projecting portion of the pawl at` the'opposite sideoi spike y shank.

9. In a railway spike thecombination of l a'shank having a head thereon, a pawl mem- Va width greater than the width of the shank so that opposite portions of the pawl above the pivot axis may extend'at the same time beyond opposite sides of the shank.

10. In a railwa spike the combination of a shank having a iiead thereon, a` pawl mem'- ber, means pivoting the pawl member adjacent its lower end on the spike shank, the 100 pawl member above the pivot axis being ofv a width greater than the width of the shank so that it may be positioned to project at opposite sides of the shank at the same time,

one of said lprojecting portions of the pawl 105 l member having a notch inwardly from the' upper edge thereof into which a tool may be inserted for moving the pawl member from.

a projecting relation at both sides of the shank to a projecting relation at only one H0 j side. v

' ROCCO PRONINI.V

the shank of thespikeoutwardly beyond ,the 

